We’ve always known they do things differently in Europe. Long vacations, good food, a relaxed approach to public nudity. If Google gets its way, they could be adding another thing to the list: an iMessage that works with WhatsApp.

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Google calls on EU to force Apple to open up iMessage

Google and some of Europe’s biggest telecoms companies have urged the EU to force Apple to make its iMessage chat app compatible with rivals.

The European Commission is considering whether iMessage should be on a list of services that fall under the new Digital Markets Act, and so should connect seamlessly with competitors such as WhatsApp.

At the moment, when Apple users communicate on iMessage, the chat bubbles are blue. But when a non-Apple user joins, they turn green and the messages revert to standard SMS.

Broadly, tech companies with annual revenues of more than $8 billion and at least 10,000 monthly active users in the EU fall under the rules, but regulators have some discretion. Apple argues iMessage isn’t in scope because users don’t pay for it directly and its devices can be used without the app.

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The bottom line